Music · Music genre
Ballad
A slow, melodically expressive song typically focused on emotional or romantic themes
39
songs
39 recordings have it, across almost the whole of the band's recording life, 1963 to 1970. 'Anna (Go to Him)' came first, 'Let It Be' last, with the A Hard Day's Night album leaning on it hardest, four of its thirteen tracks. Paul sings lead on eighteen of them, eleven for John, and the two of them together on two, with George on three and Ringo on one. On 'Not a Second Time': slow, jazzy feel.
See alsoTempo:SlowMotif:SoftnessVocabulary:Poetic lyricsScale degree:iiiScale degree:ii7Lyric shape:will [VERB]Motif:NostalgiaChord shape:C7 → F → Dm
Did you know?more like this →
'Baby It's You' (1963) is the earliest Beatles song to lean on Ballad, which they use on 39 songs in all.
Analysis
By Year
Song count per year
By Songwriter
% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)
By Era
Early7 · 23%
Mid-period10 · 32%
Late14 · 45%
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Songs(34 of 39)
Year
Album
Writer
Lead vocal(s)
Not a Second Time
1963·With The Beatles·John
Slow, jazzy feel
This Boy
1963·Past Masters·John
I'll Be Back
1964·A Hard Day's Night·John
And I Love Her
1964·A Hard Day's Night·Paul
Things We Said Today
1964·A Hard Day's Night·Paul
If I Fell
1964·A Hard Day's Night·John
I'll Follow the Sun
1964·Beatles For Sale·Paul
Yes It Is
1965·Past Masters·John
You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
1965·Help!·John
Yesterday
1965·Help!·Paul
In My Life
1965·Rubber Soul·John
Michelle
1965·Rubber Soul·Paul
For No One
1966·Revolver·Paul
Eleanor Rigby
1966·Revolver·Paul
Here, There and Everywhere
1966·Revolver·Paul
She's Leaving Home
1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·Paul
The Fool on the Hill
1967·Magical Mystery Tour·Paul
Hey Jude
1968·Past Masters·Paul
Julia
1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·John
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·George
I Will
1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·Paul
Good Night
1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·Ringo
Long, Long, Long
1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·George
Blackbird
1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·Paul
Mother Nature's Son
1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·Paul
Something
1969·Abbey Road·George
Golden Slumbers
1969·Abbey Road·Paul
Across the Universe (Wildlife version)
1969·Past Masters·John
Let It Be
1970·Let It Be·Paul
The Long and Winding Road
1970·Let It Be·Paul
Across the Universe
1970·Let It Be·John
Free as a Bird
1995·Reunion singles·John
Real Love
1996·Reunion singles·John
Now and Then
2023·Reunion singles·John
Updated